Visible index



Patented May 8, 1928.

UN I-...TEn-4 STATES PATE i `TIIZ'LIAM A.. RINGLER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEGLOBI WEBNICKE," C0., A1 C0RI?(DIERAJII'IOIRA- 0F* OHIO,`

VISIBLE INDEX.

p Application led November 15, `1924i; Serial No. 750,045;

This invention relates to card index de vices of the so-called visible indexjtype,` in which a series of index elementsaresupported for sliding` movement in a frame 5 with the free ed esofitheelements project d ingone beyond tie other to expose a narrow marginal edge of each, which@ exposed marginal edge may carryl. suitable i enti' fication or index characters. The exposed marginal .edges of the elementsfrequently the exposedy e ges bf trans arenti sheet materialV such as. cellu oid. d n all such cases, it has been customary tomerely" attach" a strip` of celluloidover the exposed 'marginal edge offan element and`, therefo`re, it was necessary either to attach,th`e strip of flexible material after the identification characters` were placed onwthemarginal portion,

or the identifieation was provided upon; strips which were `placed fin .pockets formed` between the transparent stripr and Vthe exposed marginaledge.` In thelatter case,thely strips frequently` became-detached' which caused confusion in identification of the card or element with the missing 'identification characters. the "former case, the `transparent strips must be applied ."byrthe,

uservlnsteadof by thefactory, which was objectionable. 'd

An ,object of thisinventionV is" to provide an improved visible index device inwh-ieh the `exposed marginal edges of' the indexv elements and units will be effectively pro.

tected by transparent sheet material; with` which the transparent sheet materialnay be applied to the elements byn the factory or.. protecting sheets. with transparent margins' may be provided for attachment by the user` atany time; with' which the identifyingor` indexingf characters `may be appliedto the elementsbythe user 1n the same manner as if` the elements were not` protected' by the,

transparent material; with lwhich the transarent material will" not interfere n with or"- liinderthe use of theindex` device;` `andi` which will be relatively simple, convenient, durable and inexpensive. d d

A further ob'ect is to provide an i1n, proved indexA element protected by' transparent material which may be secured tothe body of the clement 1n such a mannerfthati it will always remain iat,.even though the novel` features body ofthe element to which it is attached I5 d d index device constructed in accordance with become ,soiledV by repeated handling,` and' various,` attem ts have been made to protect' the invention;

F1g.i2 1s an endelevation ofan index ing thedetails of"construction. .d

In .the embodiment of "the'invention illus` trated"`in Figs. `1 and 2, the indexlelement 1 is provided,` adjacent one"end, with spaced. apertures 2by whichit maybe attached the loweri pair of arms 3 ofthe fbifurcated opposite ends of a strip 4 of flexible sheet material l forming the index element carrienj' The apertures 2 of the -indexelement 1j are e5 spacedinwardly from the" edge attached to the carrier, and the marginal 'portion alo A the attached edge is folded backupon/itsel as at 5,' so` as to interlock with:` the upper" edge` of" the Vnext lowercarrier` stri and:1 9o effect the, desired spacingbetween a jacent,V index elements.` In this manner, the index' elements '1 will have `marginal portions along th'exfree edges exposed for the Iecep,` tion. of suitable index or identiticationA char-A acters. A protector elemente, is provided Vone ofthe units of Figs. 3 and f4, illustrati` `with apertures 7, similar to the apertures 2, f

acters on the exposed marginal edge of that index element will be visible through this transparent marginal portion. The protector element 6 may be swung upwardly to expose the index element beneath it whenever access to the latter is desired, and at the same time, the transparent marginal edge will protect the index element from soiling during the handling of the index elements.

` The transparent sheet material may be of Celluloid, or other similar material, but inasmuch as such materials do not usually have the same coeicient of expansion as the paper or other material to which they Vare secured, provision must be made to take care of the difference in expansion, if warping or bulging of the transparent material is to be prevented. If the transparent strip is cemented or attached continuously along the entire edge which is attached to the pa er or other material, buckling will inevitab y occur. By placing the cement or fastening means only at intervals at a plurality of points along the length lof the strip, the paper can bulge slightly between the points cemented or secured to the transparent strip without warping the transparent'strip. To facilitate vthe application of cement only at intervals, either the body part of the element or the transparent strip part is provided with spaced tongues 9 which overlap the other part, and the cement is applied only to the tongues. This considerably facilitates the application of the cement or adhesive whenever an adhesive is utilized.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the tongues are provided upon the edge of the paper body and overlapfthe transparent strip, and a suitable cement 10 may be applied to the under-faces of the tongues before the application of the transparent strip thereto. Instead of an adhesive coating, the tongues may be attached to the strip by moistening them with a solvent of the transparent material and then pressing them firmly against said strip for a short interval. ofcourse, that mechanical fasteners, such as rivets, may be used to connect the tongues and the transparent strip, if desired.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 5 the transparent protector strip 11 is attached directlyto the index element instead of to a separate sheet, the protector strip 11 then acting as the protecting flap for the next adjacent index element. These transparent marginal strips, corresponding to the strips 8, are secured, such as by cement 12 or any other fastening means, at a plurality of spaced intervals along their lengths to the underfaces of the index elements, the attachment being made along the free ends or edges of the elements, so that the transparent marginal edge of each index element It will be understood,

will overlie the exposed portion of the next adjacent index element beneath it. The indexing or identifying characters are placed along the exposed marginal edge of each index element as usual, and this exposed marginal edge will be protected by the overlapping transparent mar final extension of the index element next a ove it.

It will be observed that by the use of the protecting sheets G the exposed marginal edges of the sheets will be visible and effectively protected by the transparent edge portion, and at the same time the entire surface of the index element will be readily accessible for the entry of information or inspection. The protector sheets are made largely of paper which is inexpensive, and such sheets may be removed and applied to new index elements when an old index element is discarded. Where the transparent marginal edge is applied directly to an index element, each element acts as the protecting iap for the next lower index element and the uppermost index element may be protected b a protector element 6 such as shown in igs. 1 and 2. Y

In both of the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the transparent protecting strips may be applied to the supporting means by the manufacturer and if index elements without the transparent protecting strips are in use, the protecting elements, shown in Figs. 1 and 2,'may be purchased and a plied to those elements. In both of the il ustrated forms of the invention, the marginal edges of the index elements will be readily accessible for the placing of the 'indexing characters thereon. y Y

It will be obvious that various changes in the details and materials, which have been herein described and illustrated for the purpose ofexplaining the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a visible index device, an index element comprising a sheet of paper, and a flat strip of transparent sheet material secured along an edge of the paper sheet so as to provide a transparent marginal extension, the strip of transparent material being secured to the paper sheet adjacent 4 its ends and also intermediate of its ends, being unconnected with the paper elsewhere, so that the paper may buckle or warp slightly without warping the transparent strip.

2.- In a visible index device, an index element carrier having bifurcated ends, an index element havin spaced apertures through which two o the arms of the bifurcated ends may extend, a sheet of paper having apertures at one end through which the other arms of the bifurcated ends may extend, with the index element..

`element carrier having bifurcated ends, an

index element having spaced apertures through which tWo of the arms of the bifurcated ends may extend, a sheet of paper having apertures at one end through which the other arms ofthe bifurcated ends may extend, with the paper extending over the index element, said paper strip having along its free end edge a strip of transparent sheet material, forming a transparent marginal extension of the sheet.

4.In a visible index device, a paper in* dex element, and a strip of trans arent sheet material cemented to a face o they index element at pointsadjacent its ends and also intermediate oi" its ends, being otherwise 'unconnected to said element, whereby the transparent strip will form a transparent marginal extension of the element, and the paper will befree. to buckle intermediate the points of attachment to the strip Witliout warping the strip.

5. In a visible index device, Van index element having a plurality of tongues along one edge, and a strip of transparent sheet material secured to said tongues so as to form a transparent marginal extension of the element.

G. In a visible index device, an .index element having a plurality of tongues along one edge and a strip of' transparent sheet material cemented to said tongues so as to ,form a transparent marginal extension ot p the element.

`i'. In a visible index device7 an index element carrier having tongues, an index element having spaced apertures through Which-certain of the tongues may extend, a sheet of'ypaper having apertures at one end through which others of said tongues may extend With the paper extending over the index element, said paperfstrip having along. its tree end edge a strip of transparent sheet material forming a transparent marginal extension of the sheet,` overlying the :tree marginal edge of the index element. `"In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature. WILLIAM A. RIN GLER. 

